A Review of Botanical Extracts with Repellent and Insecticidal Activity and Their Suitability for Managing Mosquito-Borne Disease Risk in Mexico.

Among the main arboviruses affecting public health in tropical regions are dengue, zika, and chikungunya, transmitted mainly by mosquitoes of the Aedes genus, especially Aedes aegypti. In recent years, outbreaks have posed major challenges to global health, highlighting the need for integrated and innovative strategies for their control and prevention. Prevention strategies include the elimination of vectors and avoiding mosquito bites; this can be achieved through the use of bioinsecticides and repellents based on plant phytochemicals, as they offer sustainable, ecological, and low-cost alternatives. Mexico has a variety of plants from which both extracts and essential oils have been obtained which have demonstrated significant efficacy in repelling and/or killing insect vectors. This review examines the current knowledge on plant species found in Mexico which are promising options concerning synthetic compounds in terms of their repellent and insecticidal properties against mosquitoes of the genus Aedes and that are friendly to the environment and health.

Association of Overweight and Obesity with Impaired Executive Functioning in Mexican Adolescents: The Importance of Inhibitory Control.

Overweight and obesity are major public health issues worldwide, including in Mexico, particularly among adolescents. This study aimed to analyze the associations between nutritional status and impaired executive function (EF) in Mexican adolescents. A case-control study was conducted with 98 male and female adolescents, categorized into normal weight and overweight/obese groups based on body mass index. EF was assessed using the BANFE-2 test. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 54.3%. The EF assessment revealed that 82.45% of the overweight/obese group exhibited mild-to-severe impairment, compared to only 36.58% in the normal weight group (X2 = 21.69, p < 0.0001). In the inhibitory control assessment, adolescents with overweight and obesity performed worse than their normal-weight counterparts. Specifically, females with overweight/obesity scored lower than females with normal weight on the risk-benefit processing test. The risk of severe EF impairment significantly increased with the presence of overweight/obesity (OR = 7.8, p < 0.0001). These findings indicate that EF, particularly inhibitory control and risk-benefit processing, is impaired in adolescents with overweight or obesity.

The Additive Antinociceptive Effect of Resveratrol and Ketorolac in the Formalin Test in Mice.

Pain represents one of the leading causes of suffering and disability worldwide. Currently available drugs cannot treat all types of pain and may have adverse effects. Hence, the use of pharmacological combinations is an alternative treatment strategy. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the combination of resveratrol and ketorolac through isobolographic analysis. CD1 mice were used to study the antinociceptive effect of this combination using the formalin test and the study was divided into two phases. In the first phase, four individual doses of each drug were evaluated, totaling eight testing groups. From these data, the median effective doses (ED50) of each drug were calculated. In the second phase, four testing groups were used to evaluate the combination of sub-doses of both drugs and obtain the experimental ED50. To evaluate gastric damage, five groups were employed, including indomethacin, vehicle, resveratrol, ketorolac, and combined resveratrol and ketorolac groups. Stomach samples from the mice were taken after 5 h of treatment, and the area of the ulcers was determined. Resveratrol plus ketorolac elicited a reduction in nociceptive behavior during both phases of the formalin test, and isobologram analysis revealed that the theoretical and experimental ED50 values of resveratrol and ketorolac did not differ significantly, implying an additive interaction between the drugs. Additionally, the drug combination did not generate gastric ulcers, thus enhancing the desired effects without increasing the adverse effects. Consequently, these findings substantiate the efficacy of the resveratrol and ketorolac combination in the formalin test, thereby highlighting its potential as a viable alternative for alleviating pain.

The four serotypes of dengue recognize the same putative receptors in Aedes aegypti midgut and Ae. albopictus cells.

BACKGROUND: Dengue viruses (DENV) attach to the host cell surface and subsequently enter the cell by receptor-mediated endocytosis. Several primary and low affinity co-receptors for this flavivirus have been identified. However, the presence of these binding molecules on the cell surface does not necessarily render the cell susceptible to infection. Determination of which of them serve as bona fide receptors for this virus in the vector may be relevant to treating DENV infection and in designing control strategies. RESULTS: (1) Overlay protein binding assay showed two proteins with molecular masses of 80 and 67 kDa (R80 and R67). (2) Specific antibodies against these two proteins inhibited cell binding and infection. (3) Both proteins were bound by all four serotypes of dengue virus. (4) R80 and R67 were purified by affinity chromatography from Ae. aegypti mosquito midguts and from Ae albopictus C6/36 cells. (5) In addition, a protein with molecular mass of 57 kDa was purified by affinity chromatography from the midgut extracts. (6) R80 and R67 from radiolabeled surface membrane proteins of C6/36 cells were immunoprecipitated by antibodies against Ae. aegypti midgut. CONCLUSION: Our results strongly suggest that R67 and R80 are receptors for the four serotypes of dengue virus in the midgut cells of Ae. aegypti and in C6/36 Ae. albopictus cells.